Monday, December 31, 2007

Parvati and Padma Patil

Name: Parvati and Padma Patil.

Age: 37 by the end of the 7th book

House: Gryffindor (Parvati) and Ravenclaw (Padma)

Distinguishing Features: Parvati and Padma are identical twin girls of Asian descent. They have long black hair and are considered to be amongst the prettiest girls in Harry’s year (especially by Dean Thomas).

Heritage: Unknown.

Family: Unknown.

First Mention: Chapter Seven of the Sorcerer's Stone.

General: One of the most curious things about the Patil twins is that they were sorted into different houses. This phenomenon is certainly not unknown, as the Patils’ case aroused mild interest but little surprise, but it is certainly more usual for twins to be sorted into the same house. As it is, Padma was put into Ravenclaw whilst Parvati is in Gryffindor, meaning that rather more is known about her.

Aside from being admired by many boys in their year, the twins are both confident and outgoing, and so have no shortage of friends amongst the girls. Parvati is best friends with Lavender Brown, and both can often be found hanging round Professor Trelawney’s Divination classroom. The two are perhaps unique in the whole of Hogwarts in that they hang on to Professor Trelawney’s every word.

The twins famously accompanied Harry and Ron to the Yule Ball of 1994, with both seeming to be quite happy with the arrangements when they were made. It didn’t take much of the evening for both of the boys to blow it in style, however: Harry spent all his time looking at Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory, whilst Ron could not be distracted from his task of jealously watching Hermione with Viktor Krum. This sort of thing is hardly likely to endear you to your date, and Parvati and Padma duly disappeared in a huff.

Harry at least was forgiven enough for both twins to join Dumbledore’s Army when it was set up in 1995, and despite a tricky period following the Yule Ball when Parvati was making her displeasure known, relations seemed to have thawed somewhat. Whether Padma is talking to Ron again is more of a mystery, however.